| Going Apricorn!
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クヌギダマとボングリのみ！うらやまのたたかい！！
Kunugidama and the Bonguri Fruit! Backyard Battle!!
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First broadcast
| Japan
|
April 13, 2000
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| United States
|
March 10, 2001
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English themes
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Japanese themes
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Credits
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Going Apricorn! (Japanese: クヌギダマとボングリのみ！うらやまのたたかい！！ Kunugidama and the Bonguri Fruit! Backyard Battle!!) is the 143rd episode of the Pokémon animated series. It was first broadcast in Japan on April 13, 2000, and in the United States on March 10, 2001.
Blurb
Ash delivers the mysterious GS Ball to a renowned Pokémon expert, but Team Rocket wreaks trouble when they attempt to harvest the Apricorns essential to local Poké Ball production.
Plot
Ash and his friends talk with Kurt and his granddaughter Maizie over some drinks. Maizie thanks the trio for helping to save the Slowpoke Well and her grandfather. Ash brings up Professor Oak's errand, the GS Ball, and hands it to Kurt, but the trio are left shocked when Kurt just declares that the GS Ball is some kind of Poké Ball. Kurt apologizes for not knowing much about it, but reassures them that he will look at it closer. Ash and his friends make a video call to Professor Oak and inform him that Kurt is now inspecting the GS Ball. Professor Oak is pleased and urges them to report any new findings as soon as possible. Ash asks about Kurt's expertise, and Professor Oak explains that Kurt is a famous craftsman who makes special Poké Balls using Apricorns. When Ash asks what an Apricorn is, Professor Oak tells him to look at the tree growing next to Kurt's house. Having spotted the tree in question, Misty alerts Ash to a White Apricorn tree growing in the backyard. Professor Oak explains that Poké Balls made out of Apricorns have unique qualities that set them apart from regular Poké Balls. His mind set, Ash runs off to find Kurt and get himself an Apricorn Poké Ball of his own, leaving the Professor still on the phone.
Ash calls out to Kurt, but Maizie tells him to be quiet as it is hard work making Poké Balls. Maizie, Ash, and his friends watch Kurt perform more work on an Apricorn Ball before placing it back into the kiln. Ash then repeats his request, but Misty tells him to not be so rude. Kurt, though, happily gives the trio a Fast Ball each as a thank you for their earlier assistance at the Slowpoke Well. Maizie adds that the Fast Balls are from White Apricorns and are used to catch Pokémon that run away. She also explains that there are seven different Apricorn types, each making a different Poké Ball. Ash is eager to get an Apricorn Ball of each color and Kurt agrees, provided Ash retrieves the Apricorns himself. Maizie offers to take Ash up into the mountains to locate the other varieties, and he happily agrees. Team Rocket also happens to overhear the conversation and sets their sights on stealing the Apricorns to make money selling them.
Maizie first shows Ash and his friends a Pink Apricorn tree, explaining that they are used to make Love Balls, which are helpful when catching Pokémon of a different gender. Brock asks if he could use the Love Ball to catch Officer Jenny or Nurse Joy, but Misty tugs on his ear and pulls him into line. Ash spots some Apricorns that are growing on a tree and runs for them, but Maizie tells him they are not ready to be picked yet. The next tree they find grows Yellow Apricorns, which are used to make Moon Balls, Poké Balls that work well on Pokémon that evolve with a Moon Stone. Ash tries to pick one, but once again, Maizie stops her. A mysterious group of Pokémon appear from the tree, and Ash's Pokédex confirms that they are Pineco. Brock declares that he is wanting to catch one, seeing it as a challenge for any aspiring Pokémon Breeder. He rushes over, but trips over a rock and headbutts the tree, which causes the Pineco to Self-Destruct. Next, the group finds some Green Apricorns, which can be turned into Friend Balls, but run away when attacked by some Beedrill. They manage to avoid their stingers after falling off a ledge.
The next tree the group finds is full of Red Apricorns, which are used to make Level Balls. However, when they approach the tree, they fall into a hole dug by Team Rocket. The evil trio stares down at the twerps and performs their motto. Meowth then lassos Pikachu with a rope and Jessie puts him into an electric-proof jar. They then announce that they will steal all the Apricorns with a vacuum. Ash has Bulbasaur pull them out of the hole with its vines. Just as Team Rocket tries to vacuum up the Apricorns, they fall into a hole dug by some Diglett. Pikachu is thrown into the air, but Ash manages to catch him and releases Pikachu from the jar.
After the distraction has been dealt with, Ash and his friends approach a tree full of Blue Apricorns, the raw material of Lure Balls, which are the perfect tools for catching Water-type Pokémon. Misty feels excited by this description, so she and Ash both pick one. Maizie directs everyone's attention to a nearby Black Apricorn tree, telling them that they're used to make Heavy Balls, which are useful catching Pokémon that weigh a lot. As Ash gets close, he stops after coming face to face with another horde of Pineco. Brock again prepares to catch himself a Pineco, but Team Rocket brings out a bicycle-powered fan in an attempt to blow all the Apricorns out of the tree. Instead, all the Pineco are blown out of the tree, while Brock tries to keep them from getting hurt. Ash has Pikachu use Thunderbolt on the machine, but the attack instead helps the fan to become more powerful.
Suddenly, one Pineco tries bouncing up the hill towards Team Rocket and it tackles the trio off their bicycle. Team Rocket is left red-faced and decide to teach the Pineco a lesson. Jessie sends out her Arbok to give chase. James, in turn, orders his Victreebel to attack, but it instead latches onto his head, as usual. Pineco craftily dodges Arbok and rushes towards Team Rocket again. At Maizie's suggestion, Brock throws the Fast Ball that Kurt gave to him earlier and catches the Pineco to get it out of harm's way. Victreebel and Arbok go on the attack again, but Pikachu evades them both. The Mouse Pokémon next uses Quick Attack and hits Team Rocket’s Pokemon with a Tackle, knocking them into Team Rocket. Pikachu follows up with a Thunderbolt, which causes Team Rocket’s fan to explode and send the trio blasting off again.
Maizie is glad the Apricorn is safe and thanks Ash for his efforts. Meanwhile, Brock calls out his newly caught Pineco. He apologizes for catching it under strange circumstances, but declares that they will be the best of friends. Pineco appears happy before exploding in Brock's arms, leaving its new Trainer covered in soot. The blast also causes a Black Apricorn to land on Ash's head, and he happily picks it up. Later, Maizie and the others return to Kurt's home to hand the craftsman their Apricorns, two Blue ones and a Black one, to be turned into Poké Balls. Brock asks if Kurt has learned anything new about the GS Ball, but Kurt remains clueless about the mysterious item. Kurt adds that the GS Ball is sealed by a powerful lock and asks if he can inspect it a little while longer, to which Ash and the others agree. Kurt then informs Ash that the Azalea Gym would be open, so Ash eagerly sets off to earn his second Johto League Badge.
Major events
Ash and his friends' new Fast Balls
- For a list of all major events in the animated series, please see the history page.
Debuts
Pokémon debuts
Characters
Humans
Pokémon
Who's That Pokémon?: Lugia (US and international), Pineco (Japan)
Trivia
- This episode marks the final physical appearance of the GS Ball, which is left with Kurt. The storyline is dropped at this point, and besides a flashback in No Big Woop!, the GS Ball is never seen again due to a planned arc featuring Celebi being scrapped by the animated series producers.
- The Celebi arc was subsequently used as part of the fourth movie's plot, although the GS Ball itself wasn't referenced or even took part in the movie's events.
- Like in the games, Kurt has a White Apricorn tree near his house.
- This episode marks the animated series debut of the Fast, Level, Lure, Heavy, Love, Friend, and Moon Balls.
- This is also the only episode in the animated series to date to feature Level or Friend Balls in any capacity, briefly appearing in Maizie's fantasy.
- The episode's English dub title is based on the phrase "going ape".
- The title can sometimes be seen written in the form "Goin' Apricorn!".
- This episode was partially adapted into the book Secrets of the GS Ball.
- Yet again, Misty doesn't seem to care about the Bug type Pineco. This is because, as revealed in a later episode, Misty wasn't even aware that Pineco was a Bug type.
Errors
- When Ash is first shown holding his Fast Ball, the yellow part of the ball is missing the black lines through the middle that represent the hinges.
- When Ash, his friends, and Maizie fall off the cliff while being pursued by Beedrill, Ash falls off last, but ends up on the bottom of all of them on the ground.
- Near the end of the battle with Team Rocket, Ash tells Pikachu to use Tackle, even though Pikachu cannot legitimately learn Tackle in the games.
- In the Polish dub, after Pikachu dodges Arbok and Victreebel, Ash tells Pikachu to use Thunderbolt instead of Quick Attack.
Dub edits
In other languages
Arabic
Bulgarian
Czech
Dutch
European French
German
Hebrew
Hindi
Hungarian
Italian
Polish
Brazil
Portugal
Romanian
Latin America
Spain
